The Ringwraiths

The Ringwraiths, known in the Black Speech as Nazgûl and in the Common Tongue as Black Riders or simply the Nine, are the most terrible servants of Sauron. They were once mortal Men, proud and great, to whom Sauron gave nine Rings of Power. These Rings did not grant immortality but instead enslaved their bearers, drawing them into the wraith-world. Over long ages they faded, becoming invisible to mortal eyes except when cloaked in black robes, and their wills were utterly subjected to the will of the Dark Lord. They are neither alive nor dead, existing as shadows under his great Shadow, and their power is in terror, despair, and the chilling Black Breath that can overcome any who face them.

Origins and Nature

The Ringwraiths were created in the Second Age when Sauron, having forged the One Ring to rule the others, gave the Nine Rings to mortal Men. These Men, kings, warriors, and sorcerers, were ensnared by the promise of power and long life. But the Rings corrupted them, and they fell under the dominion of the One. They became Ringwraiths, shadows without will of their own, serving only Sauron. Their chief, the Witch-king of Angmar, was a great king and sorcerer of old, and he wielded a deadly fear. The Nine were long hidden, but as the Shadow grew once more in the Third Age, they walked again, first in the North where the Witch-king founded the realm of Angmar, and later from Minas Morgul, the Tower of Sorcery, which they captured from Gondor.

Their Role in the War of the Ring

When Sauron learned that the One Ring had been found, he sent the Nine to recover it. They crossed the Anduin secretly, taking the guise of black riders on black horses. Their pursuit of Frodo Baggins from the Shire to the Ford of Bruinen forms the first great threat of the quest. They are described as having a terrible sense of smell and an ability to feel the presence of the Ring, which draws them. They can also see the world of shadow and perceive living things by their fear. Their power is greatest in darkness and loneliness, and they avoid open attack on well-lit, defended places. They are not, however, invincible: they fear fire, and the name of Elbereth has power against them. Their horses are real, bred in Mordor, and can endure their riders, but other animals are terrified by their presence.

The Witch-king and the Fall of the Nine

The Witch-king, the Lord of the Nazgûl, is the most powerful and feared of the Nine. He led the assault on Minas Tirith, breaking the Gate of Gondor with the battering-ram Grond. He was confronted by Gandalf, but their duel was interrupted by the arrival of the Rohirrim. In the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, he faced Éowyn, who, with the aid of Meriadoc Brandybuck, fulfilled the prophecy that he would not fall by the hand of man. Merry's barrow-blade, forged long ago to fight the Witch-king, broke the spell that bound his unseen sinews, and Éowyn's sword pierced his crown. With a shriek, he vanished, and his power was ended. The other Ringwraiths, mounted on winged steeds, were destroyed when the One Ring was cast into the Cracks of Doom. As Sauron fell, they were consumed in the fiery ruin of Barad-dûr and Mount Doom, their cries piercing the air as they withered and went out.

Significance

The Ringwraiths embody the ultimate corruption of power and the loss of self. They are a constant reminder of the fate that awaits any who would use the Rings of Power for their own ends. Their pursuit of the Ring-bearer drives the narrative of the first half of The Fellowship of the Ring, and their presence casts a shadow of dread over the entire War of the Ring. Their destruction is a necessary condition for Sauron's final defeat, and their fall marks the end of the age of terror they represented.